


Until The Angel Of Death Shows Up

by AkiRah



Category: Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Cheating Death in a Literal and Figurative Sense, Gen, Varric and Hawke are Queer Platonic Partners, Wicked Grace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 09:31:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10511028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkiRah/pseuds/AkiRah
Summary: Varric remembers his favorite game of Wicked Grace after Dorian asks him why he didn't follow Hawke to Weisshaupt.





	

_”I’d assumed you’d go up to Weisshaupt with Hawke, Varric,” Dorian said, leaning over the fireside table Varric had strewn with papers._

_Varric looked up, raising his eyebrows and dipping his quill back in the ink. “Still business to deal with here, don’t you think?” He didn’t want to talk about Hawke’s absence, or_ think _about it, if he was being honest, but Dorian had that sad-eyed look while still trying to be completely aloof._

_Thinking back, Varric remembered a much younger dwarf telling the love of his life that he’d make a shitty parent. Still, somehow he’d ended up with too many kids._

_“You should be thankful.” Dorian said with a serious nod. “I’ve been to Weisshaupt. It’s not good. Carved into a mountain, cold, dour, everyone so serious they can’t take a piss. . . you wouldn’t like it.”_

_Varric’s eyes dipped back to the letter he was signing. He tried for mirth and missed. “Hawke would be there.”_

_“And she’s quite the ray of sunshine, that’s true.”_

* * *

The thing about Wicked Grace is that there’s no knowing how long a hand can last. When the Angel of Death shows up, everyone shows their cards. Probably, Varric thinks, there’s supposed to be a lesson in each game; you mix your vices and virtues and you cheat like there’s no tomorrow and hope you come out ahead. 

The Hanged Man was never _quiet_ , but it was more or less subdued. Probably because it was a Tuesday. Hawke, through whatever magic, had talked everyone into putting aside their issues for an evening and even, miracle of miracles, dragged Junior and Aveline in from their daily jobs of “being highly respectable.” 

Varric cut the deck and passed it to Daisy, who everyone had agreed was allowed to deal because it never occurred to her to cheat this early in the game. _Despite_ Varric’s best efforts. 

He looked down at his hand: Pair of Songs, a Knight, and a Dragon. He could work with that. Lifting his gaze he read the tells across the table. Blondie had nothing, Broody had less. Daisy was doing math in her head, Rivani was bluffing but probably had something better than he did, Junior was hopeful, Aveline was silently going over the rules. 

Hawke was grinning. 

Not their usual “I’m bluffing” grin and not the “I’m being sneaky” sort of smirk they got when they thought they were being clever. This smile was almost blinding. 

“Dealer starts, Daisy.” 

“Oh! Right!” Daisy set her cards face down on the table. “Are we playing for stories again, Varric?” 

“Stories and favors.” Varric laughed richly. “Keeps the rest of you from owing me money.”

* * *

They’d been at it for almost an hour and a half, but the Angel of Death hadn’t shown up yet. Varric suspected he was the only one who noticed. Hawke ordered drinks and waved him off from trying to cover the tab while teasing Junior for his obvious crush on Daisy. Blondie and Broody were teasing each other, but it was almost fond for once. Aveline was ribbing Rivani for cheating but had had just enough to drink to think it was more amusing than anything else. Rivani was deep enough in her cups that even if she did win, she probably wasn’t going to notice. 

Varric caught eyes with Hawke from across the table. Their smile had softened and with the candles there was almost a glow in their pale blue eyes. 

They looked at peace. 

And after everything, they deserved that. 

“Last card,” Varric said. “She’s got to be in there _somewhere_.” 

She, the Angel of Death, was not. Varric frowned at the deck. He looked up and Hawke winked before shaking their head. 

“I need a new deck,” Varric said good naturedly. “Alright everyone, what’ve you got?” 

Everyone showed their hands and laughed when they realized that Daisy had won with four knights. They pushed chairs out and stretched, ready to head back to their individual homes for the night. Rivani returned to her room, complaining about being cockblocked by both Daisy and Junior. 

Junior walked Daisy home, Aveline and Broody made their way back to Hightown together to chat. Blondie kissed Hawke on the temple and made his way down the steps and back towards Darktown, leaving Varric and Hawke alone. 

Hawke gathered the cards and started to shuffle them absently. 

“So. Where’s my Angel of Death?” Varric asked. “I need that card, you realize.”

Hawke reached into their boot and produced the Angel of Death. “Everyone needed a break,” they said with a shrug. “I saw the opportunity and I took it.” 

“In more ways than one.”

“I _also_ saw the chance for a shitty joke.”

* * *

_Dorian left and Varric looked back down at his work. The fear was back. The needling drip of dismay that Hawke was going to die alone on some mountainside. Or in an explosion at Weisshaupt. Or any number of other ways._

_He reached into a pocket of his jacked and produced a worn and weathered card. The Angel of Death, defaced with a red mark drawn across her nose. The sides were splitting and a corner was torn off._

_Hawke had given it to him before disappearing the first time._

_A reminder that the game couldn’t end if the Angel of Death wasn’t in the deck._


End file.
